Annyx - Art and Unique Gifts

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Featured Artist: J. Brooke Patterson

J. Brooke Patterson is an artist currently working in Oakland, CA. In 1993, she earned her BA degree in Art from UC Berkeley, where she focused on drawing and printmaking. For some years she had made these dioramas for friends and family, simply using chicken eggs. In 1996, she began selling them through an Open Studios event in Berkeley, CA, where they quickly sold out. In 2000, it became a full-time artistic pursuit, and she now exhibits in many shows and stores throughout the country.

About the eggs

These egg dioramas are handcrafted using real eggshells. Each egg is hardened with several coats of gesso primer, followed by layer upon layer of acrylic paint and several coats of clear gloss varnish. The scenes are created using a variety of sculptural media, in addition to found and recycled materials. All of the elements inside are handmade individually, so each egg has its own unique character, along with the unique shape that the egg itself brings to the piece. And also for this reason, each egg has to be framed individually, each piece of glass custom-cut.

Each diorama from one of the ornament collections is part of a numbered yearly edition and comes in its own silk-lined gift box, along with an ornament hanger and description on the inside of the lid.

Artist’s Statement

As a container of life, the egg also inspires one to imagine the many things that can dwell inside. It can frame and focus a passing observation, or a deep contemplation. It is an opportune medium in which to create little worlds that can enchant, delight, and amuse people. Its irregular shape and size, and its intimate nature, can draw people inwards. My challenge is to create something like miniature set designs to which others can bring their own experiences when looking into the world. And my hope is to communicate and share both my observations and my appreciation of the curious and wonderful details surrounding us all. J. Brooke Patterson